He cocked an eyebrow at her. “And why is that?”
“Because it makes you happy. And I want to do the things that make you happy.”
He went very still. For a moment, he simply stared at her. Before he could respond, some of the villagers, led by his own valet, joined them at the top of the cliff.
“Good morning for it!” one of the men—Mr. Qualley—exclaimed, pulling out his own dinner. A large pie, filled with meat and potatoes and onions, feasted on by many of the men here during the day.
“Your Grace,” another lanky man chimed, tipping his cap respectfully at Sebastian. “Your Grace.” Now he did the same to Aurelia.
No matter the fact that they had been married for some time, and thus she had been a duchess for a while now, Sebastian still saw her blink in surprise that she was being addressed that way, and with such deference.
“We appreciate you coming out here and helping us,” Mr. Qualley added. “My wife’s been singing your praises too, Your Grace.” He looked at Aurelia. “Puts us in mind of how we can repay you.”
“Oh, there’s no need!” Aurelia smiled with one eye squinted against the wind before Sebastian could say a thing. “Is there, Sebastian? We are here because we want to be. Misfortune does not discriminate.”
Mr. Qualley nodded, chewing slowly. “Strikes me there’s been a tree down on your property. Saw it when we were there last. Knocked down a wall.”
Sebastian nodded. “That’s right.”
“Once the critical work here is done, we’ll come by and repair it, won’t we, lads?”
The other men nodded enthusiastically.
“Mr. Gallop over there has experience with brick walls. His dad was a bricklayer, and he’s built walls half his life. Reckon he could get the thing done for you however you’d like. Isn’t that right, Gully?”
“Aye.” The man indicated gave an awkward sitting bow, his ruddy face flushed from the attention. “Me old man taught me well, and I have experience, Your Grace. It would be done for free, mind. You scratch our back, we scratch yours.”
Aurelia turned to Sebastian with a delighted expression on her face. “Oh, just think!” And he knew she wasn’t just referring to having the wall repaired. He had gone so far in repairing the relationship with the villagers that they had offered to help him—andenthusiastically.
So much had changed.
And Aurelia was right there celebrating the change with him, her pretty hair tossing in the wind, looking both pleased with herself and the world. Would this have happened if it weren’t for her? The storm certainly would have, and he liked to think he would have rushed out to help just as he had done this time.
But he couldn’t know for sure if a world not worth fighting for was one he would be so desperately striving to save.
“Thank you,” he said to Qualley and Gallop. “I would be honored.”
Aurelia had all but finished helping out at the village when a carriage arrived on the main street. Upon seeing her, it stopped, and the door opened, revealing Lady Mary Ann and her father.
“My word…” she gasped, looking Aurelia up and down. “You look as though you have been in the mines all day, sweetie!”
Aurelia wiped the back of her hand across her face. “You exaggerate.”
“Perhaps, but you do look awful, dearest.” Mary Ann grimaced. “I heard from the servants that the village is in a sorry state, and so I had to see for myself, see if there’s anything I can do. Father’s in there,”—she jerked her thumb at the carriage—“can hardly walk, but claimed he ought to at least be present out of respect.”
“The conditions are still not wonderful underfoot,” Aurelia sighed.
Mary Ann took Aurelia’s hand and squeezed. “Have you been helping all day?”
“I have. They need our help.”
For a moment, Mary Ann hesitated, and Aurelia wondered if this would be a step too far. But then she nodded, finding her resolve. “So be it, dearest. My maid will have kittens when she sees the state of my dress, but better that than anything worse. I shall inform Papa that I intend to stay with you awhile.”
Aurelia beamed at her friend’s contagious enthusiasm. “Though there’s not much to do now. We are losing the light,” she gestured at the clouds. “But I’ll be here with more food tomorrow.”
“You and that handsome husband of yours?” Mary Ann winked.
Aurelia did her best not to blush—why was she inclined to blush, anyway? It wasn’t as though their connection was a secret, or that she didn’t know he was handsome. “Well, he is doing more of the heavier work, but yes.”
